10 Classic Video Games (That Have Aged Horribly)

7. Banjo-Kazooie

A revolutionist is either typically viewed as a hero or villain with little grey area in-between. Usually, the difference is entirely based on the how their cause is viewed in retrospect.

In the same way that Mario 64 is treated as a heroic revolutionary experience for how it changed 3D gaming, there is a growing viewpoint that Banjo-Kazooie set the genre back in the long-term. This is mostly due to the game's emphasis on collecting. Whereas Mario 64 was more about the exploration of its world and the possibilities that environment afforded the player, Banjo-Kazooie placed more value on feeling its world with stuff. Stuff which then needed to be collected.

Sure Mario 64 had items to collect, but they were largely used to mark where players needed to go next and to create unique challenges. Banjo just gave you a to-do list of things to pick up if you wanted to experience the game in full. Its stylistic elements and moments of interesting gameplay make it impossible to fairly call Banjo-Kazooie a one trick pony, but unfortunately the game would set a design precedent where large world games would become a breeding ground for decreasingly compelling collectible items and objectives.

At its best Banjo-Kazooie is a slight step below Mario 64's brilliance. At its worst the game is a slightly archaic forebearer to a style of design that is quickly wearing out its welcome.